FRONT Street Primary School, in Whickham, which celebrated its centenary just this summer, is now having what’s hoped to be a reunion to match the occasion.

The school, which has played a major part in Whickham’s history, and watched over the changes that have taken place over the last century, opened in 1909.

Colonel Alec K Johnson, MBE, now aged 90, taught at the school for what he remembers as: “Thirteen very happy years,” and now hopes to see many former pupils and friends at the reunion.

“I took the football, cricket and athletics in the school. I also had a Nature Club and a Puppet Club, which gave enjoyment to the school and to the children in local hospitals – many will remember the wicked witch!”

But Colonel Johnson says that what gave pupils most pleasure is when they adopted a ship, the MV Laganfield, of Newcastle.

Mr Johnson says that he had a chart in his office where pupils could follow the voyage of the ship as it visited ports on the other side of the globe.

“I also took pupils on a visit to the ship when it berthed on the River Tyne, and some of the crew came back to visit our school.”

Colonel Johnson eventually left to start his own school, Linden School, but he says he still gets immense pleasure meeting his ex-pupils.

“There are many highlights of my time at the school, including taking a party to the Rome Olympics, in 1960. We had a week in Rimini and a week in Rome and, in 1962, I took a party to Spain.”

If anyone wants tickets for the reunion they should ring Janice Woodhaugh on (01207) 563964.